This week, we talked in class about contemporary fantasy and stories by authors such as Neil Gaiman. I (regrettably) didn't get around to reading Anansi Boys this week, but in class we did watch Coraline and saw an interview with Gaiman and touched on that.
I loved the use of myth in Coraline because it was definitely set in a contemporary setting and very relatable to any kid having grown up in this modern technological era. The movie played on the "distant parent" trope, one created with the invention of the computer and with parents having too many things to do on the computer-- whether they be work or games. I personally know friends who have parents that are more addicted to the computer than they should be, and it can be very damaging to a kid who needs any kind of direction, supervision, or accountability.
So Coraline has to deal with moving away from her home to a rural area so that her parents can focus on their work (their computer work) and Coraline gets stuck trying to supervise herself however she can, whether it be avoiding the neighborhood boy or just finding something to keep herself occupied.
She discovers this fantasy world and becomes enthralled with it, without anything else to keep her occupied in life. I feel like this really speaks to the imaginary world that a child can cook up for him- or herself in the modern era, and how it can start to run rampant if not properly supervised.
The 'myth' in this story came from Coraline's very real invention of her imaginary world. This is by no means a concept that is unheard of being created by a child or otherwise, as I said before. Gaiman does something very special by making a fantasy book out of a very real situation, one having to do with neglect and an imagination run rampant-- he does bring the point home by giving the 'imagination' part very real implications in the real-world context, but the point still stands.
I think Gaiman put a modern twist on both the concept of Coraline and the idea of how the story stands as a myth on its own. This is for sure a reason why it's so popular.
I believe the point you make about the rise of technology and "distant parents" is very true in today's society, probably even more than when Gaiman wrote his book. This may be one of the reasons the movie of the book was created when it was, because it was relevant and had people's attention. Sometimes relevant issues get the "That will never happen" treatment, but the often unequal division of attention between the virtual world and the real world is something many people are aware of in their own lives. Like you said, you know people who are too addicted to their computers. I do too.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Coraline's imagination running rampant is accurate to real children and not just a part of Gaiman's story. I've been a teacher and camp counselor for over seven years. It is incredible how quickly a child's imaginative seemingly innocent game can dissolve into something ugly. It's why Lord of the Flies is so effective. Children need some kind of guidance at some point, especially if their games get out of hand. This goes back to the technology and "distant parents" issue. Adults need to be aware of what's happening around them and their children, because they are the authority. If the authority is indifferent then the child has no boundaries. Then you get a "rampant" and potentially dangerous mess to fix.
Is it truly better to have parental supervision or not? You propose it could be damaging to a child that needs guidance but why do we allow those of our past to shelter us from the realities of the world. Why does the child need guidance from an emotionally disposition older man child about the realities of a world that he probably hasn't even fully grasped! I find the way Coraline encounters the world to be preferable. Past generations tend to shelter our children in a way that gives them a delusion of the realities of the world. And once they have reached the "age of adulthood" whatever that may be for that particular child in the eyes of their parents they are thrust into a world that no parent could have prepared them for. That's why I feel teenage angst is so strong as it is these days (and its becoming worse with how much people feel the need to cage their children in, some kids cant even go outside to play!) As teenagers we are already in a roller-coaster of changes and while we are witnessing these internal changes in our mind and body, we are also trying to gracefully handle the complete change of our external world and all our presumptions about it force fed to us through our parents. How awful it that we think we are giving children a "childhood" full of blind ignorance when they have no clue the suffering they are about to experience! Of course this is completely dependent on the parent and child but I feel I see more often than not parents trying to protect their children but in the long run severely damaging them. Why not let a child witness fear and danger for themselves? Theyre going to have to learn that lesson anyway and the most effective lesson is learned from experience. We become possessive of our children in a way that is NOT natural by any pretense. Their life is NOT ours. Their opinions should NOT be ours. They need to be the future and we will never have progression as quickly as it is possible to have if we continue to chug the same ideologies into their heads. We explain to our children that "oh we already have it figured out" with our elitist opinions and so they have less and less motivation to discover on their own. Imagine the worlds of fantasy and wonder children like Coraline would create given the chance to witness the world from a virgin eyes. Don't supervise a childs imagination and creativity. Let it wreck havoc and let them understand consequence from nature. Be their friend not their ruler.
ReplyDeletep.s. I'm not under the impression that you are supporting the suppression of children's creativity this is just speaking to a general public.